This helmet is marked with the badge of the RF – the Royal Fusiliers. Founded in 1685 by Lord Dartmouth, the Fusiliers were originally named the Ordnance Regiment. Their main duty was to escort the Royal Artillery – in order to avoid inadvertent ignition of the gunpowder barrels, they were armed with fusils (flintlock rifles) rather than the standard matchlocks; this gave rise to their name. They were involved in most British conflicts from that point onwards, including the American Revolution, the defence of Canada from invasion by the American Continental Congress Army in 1775-6, the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars (Spain) and both World Wars. They won particular acclaim in World War 1, where they served in every theatre of war (including Macedonia, Turkey, the Western Front and Africa) and won the first – and last – two Victoria Crosses awarded for that war. The regiment was amalgamated with various regional divisions in 1968.
The origin of this piece is thus European, but it could have seen service anywhere in the RF’s ample world range. RF paraphernalia is rare and collectable – this particular specimen is in a good state of repair, with a fine patina of age. This would be a sterling addition to any serious collection of the genre.